Chapter 0365

“You weren't a shit spy,” I say, shaking my head. “You worked for years doing that, and Kent never suspected for a single second. My dad just

convinced you that you were bad at it because he doesn't feel like he needs to respect you.

“What are you doing, Fay,” Fiona snaps, staring hard at me. "You are getting into some dangerous waters right now. And you might want to stop —

because as much as I admit I don't really like your dad, and I think he's doing kind of a shit job making the right choices for this family? I am not ever

going to betray this family.”

‘I’m not asking you to betray it.” I say, leaning forward and holding her gaze. “I'm asking you to...consider a change in leadership.”

“What.” she scoffs, laughing at me as she starts to shake her head. “What, you want me to follow you now, baby Fay? After you've had, what, three

months of experience? You want to take over the Alden family business?"

“No, Fiona,” I say quietly, still holding her gaze seriously. “I want you to do that.”

And her jaw falls nearly to the floor.

Fiona stares at me, and then Daniel, and then Jerome for a long, long moment before shutting her mouth, hard. “All right,” she says hastily, looking

around the room anxiously. “I’m listening. And that does not mean that I am in. But I am listening.”

And then Daniel, Jerome, Fiona and I talk for a long, long time.

By the time we're finished making our offer to Fiona, the bar has filled up a little bit with some of its regular clientele — neighborhood folks, mostly, but

no one who's paying a great deal of attention to us. Fiona serves a couple of beers and then comes back shakes her head at me, a small smile on

her lips. "I always knew you had the balls, little cousin.” she says. “I just never knew if you'd find them or not.

“Yeah well,” I say, shrugging and sipping on the Shirley Temple that Fiona made me, “one learns a certain set of skills at Kent’s knee.”

“Oh yeah?” she says, smirking. “Bent you over his knee, did you? He likes that.”

“a

Enough!” Daniel almost shouts, os

cutting. the air between us with as

slice of his hand. “No more of that!

Toomuch sharing of things I {do not

need to know!”

-

Fiona and I are still laughing, hard, when the old beige rotary phone next to her starts to ring. She makes a move to answer it but I grab her hand

instead.

“Fiona,” I say quietly, my heart in my

eyes as shelooks into my face. “

AN

understand that you might say noc

And that’s okay. But if you do.. could

you please not totally fuck me Over?

Or teltanyone anything that’ 'sgoing

toget me killed?”

4

Fiona clicks het tongue and takes

my hand, sqleezing it. “I promise

you, cousin.” she says quietly, =

holding * eyes. “If I decide to say

no, them this conversation never

happened. You're my baby Fay. !'ll

never hurt you.”

on

Tears sting my eyes a little bit as I nod to her, smiling. grateful. Daniel puts a warm hand on my back, letting me know that he thinks we can trust her.

“But really, kid,” she says, nodding towards the phone. “You want me to get this one.

“What?” I ask, confused, pulling my hand away and letting her reach for the phone.

“It's for you,” Jerome says quietly, leaning forward from Daniel's other side. “I, um...I set it up. Because I thought you needed it.

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